1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine soup, milk and pepper in a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Stir until blended.
3. Stir in green beans and 2/3 can french fried onions.
4. Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until hot.
5. Stir, then sprinkle the top with remaining onions.
6. Bake five minutes longer or until onions are golden brown. Serve hot.

I usually double the above recipe and use an aluminum tray which I can just throw away when done. This, too, can be made ahead of time and popped in the oven after your turkey is done and waiting to be carved.

Slice up some baby red potatoes in about 1 inch cubes, leaving skin on. Boil the bejesus out of them until they are falling apart. Drain and transfer them to a bowl. Add a bunch of real butter, a big blop of sour cream (1/2 to a full cup depending on how many potatoes you cook), salt & pepper, about half a teaspoon of the fresh garlic pieces from a jar of garlic (its better if you roast your own garlic beforehand and put some of it in), and sprinkle in a couple of teaspoons of dried cilantro.

When you stir this up, it gets about half mashed and about half chunky with little red skins throughout. Its really yummy.

1 bag of cranberries
2 cups of raspberries (frozen or fresh)
1 cup of merlot (I have used cabernet as well)
1 cup of sugar

Put this all on the stove together and when it starts boiling, start stirring and try to get the cranberries as mashed as you can. Once they are fairly mashed and the mixture thickens a bit, pour it in a bowl and let it chill. People go crazy over this. I do too and I HATE cranberry sauce. I think because of the raspberries, this is a little sweeter than cranberry sauce, plus its chunky.

I tweaked my pumpkin pie recipe for years before settling on this formula/recipe. I use evaporated milk instead of condensed, because it gives me flexibility in the sugar. This makes a nice 9" deep dish pie. If you have a little extra mix left when the pie pan is full, put it into a small bowl and bake it beside the pie (you have to watch it because it will cook faster) for a treat for the cook.

Put the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir well with a whisk to mix. Add the milk and eggs; whisk very well. A little extra air in the mixture is a good thing for the lightness of the finished pie. Put a pan of water in the oven to keep the top of the pie moist. If you wish, cover the edge of the crust with aluminum foil to avoid burning. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake 45 more minutes. A toothpick into the center will come out clean when it is done.

Gee, thanks. Bird....I have been trying to be good and exchange sugar in recipes for Splenda, etc. but yours looks deliciously impossible! Can I sneak over to your house? Of course, I shall be in a coma by the end of Thanksgiving....what the heck....is there an orange around?

My T'Giving Dinner Recipes: Buy spiral cut ham at Sam's. Have daughter come over and make turkey. Buy pumpkin pie at grocery store. Have daughter follow recipe for Green Bean Casserole from side of French onion can. Open can of corn. Buy Stove Top Stuffing mix. Open Jelled and Whole Cranberry cans. Voila! Recipes can be doubled.

The sad part is Maurlin is serious...i do cook more than the turkey, but she can't even follow a recipie to save her life!! I am planning now to make those Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars Alice posted. Mom was reading the recipie and then we discussed it..and she said "They're bars?!?!?" Sheeeeeeeeeesh

Chelle - Let me know how you like the bars. You and your Mom are welcome for Thanksgiving dinner here - we are doing ours Sunday, so there will be plenty of time for you to get here after you have your own!